The workshops—“RADAR: The Secret to Sustainable Relationships” and “Relationship Anarchy 101”—were part of a broad range of topics presented at the conference, including gender and sexuality, technology and dating, non-monogamy and the law, sexual health and wellness, boundaries, and more.

The Multiamory team also delivered the closing keynote speech. The keynote explored the themes of: breaking through the barriers of what others think or tell you is impossible, avoiding the pressure to be performative and outwardly perfect in your relationships, and having humility in your ambassadorship of alternative relationships.

Those who attended the conference had overwhelmingly positive feedback to share about Multiamory’s presence. One guest wrote, “Multiamory was killer!” while another said, “Loved the Multiamory folks!” For a different attendee, it was the highlight of the whole conference: “Getting Multiamory was CLUTCH.”

The team will be delivering another keynote speech at POP Fest KW 2019 in Ontario, held August 23-24 in Kitchener, ON. This event focuses on the challenges inherent to polyamory and will feature discussions and workshops on topics such as the new language around relationships and gender identity. Participants will benefit from workshops, relationship tools, and a sense of community.

It’s notable that these conferences are taking place in cities that aren’t the normal hotbeds of progressiveness and aren’t necessarily known for their polyamory scenes.

“It’s important that people in these cities are taking action to centralize and organize their communities,” Dedeker says. “Because having community is paramount when you’re going against the grain!”

As people become more open in their discussions of formerly “taboo” subjects, they realize that they’re not the only ones. There are others with the same challenges, desires, and experiences. These discussions foster a sense of community which, as its numbers grow, may change the general public’s perception of the polyamory relationship model.

Pretending that alternative ways of sexual expression and relationship models don’t exist, or keeping them closeted, does a disservice to everyone: it closes minds and prevents understanding. These conferences, and others like them, are designed to open dialogue and foster understanding about what polyamory really is and how it fits into the human experience.